Ignition control.



-*w. 0. BROWN. Icumou CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2I. l9

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Patented May 1, 1917.

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IGNITION CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, I911.

Patented May I, 1917.

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IIIYEHTOII I I L- 1 I M ITTORUEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAI 0. BROWN, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIQNHR TO HUMI'HBEY GAS PUM'PCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEI YORK.

IGNITION CONTROL.

To all whom it may concern 0 tion 0 I My invention comprlses method andmeans Be it known that 1,,Wrnnmia C. Brown, a citizen of the'UnitedStates, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, State of NewYork, have invented a new anduseful Ignition Control, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to ignition control. Myrobject is'to provideimproved method and a paratus for eflecting electrical ignif combustiblecharges.

for utilizing the flow or pressure of liquid in a play pipe or dischargepipe to maintain, against a resisting force, an open electriocircuit,-until the occurrence of a diminution, cessation, or reversal ofsaid ressure,

whereupon the circuit is closed an opened m- I Referring to thedrawings, which illustrate, by way of example, suitable apparatus foreffecting my invention,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view :of an internal combustionpump employing my improved means for ignition control.

Fig. 2 is anelevation in part sectionshowmy improved means indetaih ig.3 is an elevation in detail, showing the contacts in position difierentfrom that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal transversesection on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fi '5is a vertical section showing addidimeans'for breaking the circuit bythe operation of the exhaust valve.

Fig.- 6 is'a detail in vertical section, on an enlarged scale of saidsecond circuit breaking means. i

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout'the several views.

" -Mv invention is especially applicable to internal combustion engines,pumps and compressors of the general type which are now known in the artas the Humphrey ump or compressor. One of the simplest orms of such apum comprising a combustionand: expansion 0 amber connected. with a-playpipe, and a discharge, and also connected with a source of liquidsupply. The operation of "this device, consists in expand-. ing acompressed combustible charge in an expansion chamber against a columnof liquid, thereby driving the.liquid from the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed Decemlier 21, 1911. Serial 1 To. 881,180.

the play pipe in response to the head or pressure to which it has beendriven, and liquid'flows back into the combustion chamher to expel burntproducts and to compress a fresh coml: ustible charge which has beenintroduced irto said chamber.

In order t) secure a maximum eliiciency of expansion of the combustiblecharge, it is important that the charge be ignited at the moment, orvery close to the moment, of its maxil ium compression, and as theamountof cc mpression may vary with each instroke of the liquid, due toa number of conditions w'iich it has been found difiicult positively toregulate, it follows that the ignition" device should be purelyautomaticto cause the'spark just before the incoming or Moving column of fluidhas 'come to rest, which time is, of course, the moment of maximumcompression.

Referring ;o the drawings, 5 indicates the combustion c camber withsuitable intake for expansible charges and suitable exit for burnt products. 6 indicates a source of supply with which the play pipe ordischargepipe is connected, said connection being contro. led by thenon-return valve 8.

the play pipe 7 and upwardly to the high level tank 9. The momentum ofthe moving column serves to entrainfreshliquid from the source or supply6 through the non-return valve 8. Fresh combustible charge may also beentrained during this outstroke.

When the momentum of the outstroke is spent the liquid returns, due tothe head or pressure t 9 which it has been driven, and I flows in thereverse direction, that is, to-

ward the combustion chamber, rising in the combus1 ion chamber to expelburnt products andto compress the fresh expansible c'ha It is thisinstroke that is now. utilized to control the ignition of the comp-ressed combustible charge.

As will be seen by an examination of Fig. 2, the Bspoon shaped paddle orvane 10, is mount in a suitable housing 11, on the movement or pressurespindle 12. This spoon shaped paddle or vane 10 projects into the playpipe 7 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with a concave face toward theinfiowing water. The spindle 12 passes through a suitable stufiing boxand carries on its outer end the arm 13. The arm 13 is provided at itsouter end with the binding post 14 and movable contact 15. The contactspring or blade 16 is also secured to and carried by, but insulatedfrom, arm 13. This spring 16 is adapted under certain conditions toengage with contact 15. The housing 11 is provided with a bracket 17 forsupporting at its outer end the adjustably secured fixed contact 18,adapted under certain conditions to engage with the contact leaf 16. Thebracket 17 also supports or carries the tubular housing 19 for receivingthe spring 20 and for carrying the adjustable screw head 21, which, withthe cooperating screw 22, supports the upper end of spring 20. Spring 20is connected at its lower end with the lever or arm 13.

The operation is as follows: Upon the return stroke of the liquid columntoward the expansion chamber, the pressure of the liquid against theconcave side of paddle or vane 10, moves it toward the right, that is,

toward the expansion chamber, which contact'element 16 away from thefixed contact 18. Immediately upon the diminution of flow of the inwardstroke of the liquid,.or upon the cessation of the same, or upon thereversal. of flow, as the case may be, and which will be due to thetension of spring 20, the vane 10 moves in the opposite direction, inresponse to said s 'iring tension, which results in moving the'lever 13upwardly, causing contact blade 16 to engage with the contact 18 whilesaidblade is stillin contact with contact point 15. This results incompleting the circuit of a suitable. sparking device. Arm 13 continuesto move upwardly, in response to spring 20, whereupon point 15 separatesfrom blade or fiexi ble contact element 16, thus again immediatelybreaking the circuit, so that the make of the circuit is only momentary,thus preventing an undesirable continuation of sparking.

7 It will thus be seen that, by a proper adjustment-of the tension ofthe sprlng 20, which opposes the liquid impelled movement of vane 10, itis possible to provide that the vane may be reti'u'ned to initialposition slightly before the liquid comes to rest in its instrokc. sothat the spark may be secured slightly in advance of the moment ofmaxi-- inuui compression or practically smmltanethe collar 32 secured torod ing the spark until after the'monient of maximum compression. Thisrange of adjustment makes it possible to secure the. spark at the momentmost suitable to the peculiar conditions which it may be desired tomeet.

As above pointed out the spring contact 16 will bridge the contactpoints 15 and 18 just rior to the arm 13 moving into the position shownin Fig. 3, which is at the end of the compression stroke, and when theignition takes place. will also bridge the contacts 15 and 18 inreturning to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, that is, atthe beginning of the instroke.

In order to save unnecessary expenditure of electric current, and also,as a factor-of safety, it is often desirable to eliminate thisintermediate sparking. This may be done' in a number of ways, but I havefound-that the means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 have been entirelysatisfactory. It not only prevents the sparking 0n the idle stroke, butalso. prevents ignition if for any reason the exhaust valve does notclose.

The wiring shown in F i 5 is-somewh'at different from that shown in Fig.1, that is to say, the circuit includes the binding post 14, the contact15, the bridge 16, the contact 18, the binding post 23, the contact 26and binding post 27 mounted on the spring 28 insulated from thesupporting structure the binding post 30 which is secured to the exhaustcasing 29.- The circuit then includes the two terminals of the sparkplug, the usual battery and coil. It will thus be seen that when the.exhaust valve 2 1 is in the closed position as shown in Fig. 5, thevalve rod 25rontacts with contact 26 and closes the circuit. at thispoint. This exhaust valve is ordinarily closed by the impact ofthe watertoward the end of'the return or compression stroke in the combustionchamber. The exhaustvalve is normally otherwise held open by thepressure of spring 31 between the top of the exhaust casing 29 and \Vhenthe exhaust valve is in the open position, rod 21 is de in-cssed asindicated in Fig. 6, breaking contact with the contact member 26. Itwill thus be seen that in order to produce a spark by the l'n'idging ofthe contacts 15 and 18, it p is necessary that at the same time theexhaust valve 21 be closed in order to close the circuit at the contact26.

I do not confine myself to the form of vane or paddle shown in thedrawings, as in many cases a Hat paddl will give satisfartorv rosultslNor do 1 limit myself to the particular method of mouuiingtlm paddleshown, it obviously many different ways of travel of. liquid of mountingthe vane or blade, and of utilizing its deflector may be equally withinthe sco e of my invention.

hat I claim is '1. The method which consists in reciprocating a columnof liquid of sufficient bulk and path of travel to acquire usefulmomentum, said column'ada'pted to move with varying force, projectinginto the ath of travel of said liquid column 'a move 1e element,subjecting'said movable elementtothe influence of a. substantiallyconstant force, so that said constant force will sometimecooperate withthe force of the moving column and sometimesoppose it, and the saidmovable element will becontrolled by "the.

stronger of two opposing forces.

2. Means for e'fifeoting the electrical ignition of a combustiblecharge, comprising} an electric circuit, fixed and movable contactstherein, a vanejprojecting tranSverse' the path of travel of a liquid,and supporting means for the movable-contact havin perativerelation withthe vane.

3. Means for effecting the electrical tion of a combustible charge,comprisingan electric circuit, fixed and movable contacts therein, avane pivotally mountedfand pro jecting transverse the path of tr econtact having operative rela H the vane. 1 r.

4. Means for effecting the electrical "ignition of a' combustible chargecomprising an electric circuit, fixed and movable contacts therein,avane projecting transverse the path and spring controlled supportingmeans tor themovable contact having operative relation with the vane.

5. Means for effecting the electrical ignition of a combustible charge,comprising an electric circuit, fixed and movable contacts therein, avane projecting transverse the path of travel of liquid, adjustablespring controlled supporting means for the movable contact havingoperative relation with the vane. I

6. Meansfor effecting the electrical ignition of a combustible charge,comprising an electriccircuit, fixed and movable contacts therein, avane projecting transverse the path of travel of liquid, supportingmeans for the movable'contact having-operative relation with the vane,and means for adjusting the fixed contact.

7. Means for eli'ectlng the electrical ignition of a combustible.charge, comprising an electric circuit, fixed and movable contactstherein, a vane projecting transverse the 'pathof travel of liquid,supporting mea for the movable contact having operative relation withthe vsineanda resilient conducting element for momentarily bridging thefixed and movable contacts during the movemcnt,of the latter.

, offa liquid, and supporting means for heme, ab

'nected with the contact supporti 1g arm, a flexib e contacting 8. Meansfor eifecting the electrical igniher, a play pipe for liquid connectedtherei with, an electric circuit, fixed and movable contacts in saidcircuit, a housing connected with the play pipe, 9, vane mounted in thehousing and ha ring its free end projecting intoand transvr rsc the pathof travel of the liquid in the play pipe, a spindle connected with thevane carrylng a movable contact supporting arm, and a flexiblecontacting element secured to said supporting arm for a momentary ccntact. between the fixed and movable contacts during the travel of thevane.

10. The combination of an expansion chamber, a play pipe for liquidconnected therewith, an eh ctric circuit, fixed and movablecontacts-insaid circuit, a housingconi e a vane mounted nected with the pla havingits free end proin the housing and jectiiig into and transverse the pathof travel of the liquidin whe play pipe, :1 spindle convane carryin amovable element secured to said-supporting arm for a momentary co atactbetween the fixed and movable contacts during the travel of the vane,and a spring connected between a fixed point and the movable contactarm.

11. The combination of an expansion chamber, a play pipe for liquidconnected therewith, an electric circuit, fixed and movable contact; insaid circuit, a housing connected with the play pipe, a vane mounted inthe housing an having its free end projectin into and transverse thepath of travel 0 the lquid in the play pipe, a spindle connected withthe vane can in a movable contact supporting arm, a disc lecontactingvelement secured to said supporting arm or a momentary contactbetween thefixed' and novable contacts duringthe travel of the vane, andan adjustable tension spring connected between a fixed point and t emovable cont act arm.

12. Means for efit'ecting electrical ignition of combustible charges,comprisin an electric circuit,- havin two sets of xed and movablecontacts. t erein, a vane projecting transverse the pa th of travel of al1quid,sup-

orting means fir the"o ne movable contact avin operative relationshipwith the, vaneliquid in the play pipe for controlling one make and breakdevice and means whereby the exhaust valve controls the other makeandbreak device.

14. The combination of an expansion chamber with suitable inlet andexhaust valves, a play pipe for liquid connected with the expansionchamber, an electric circuit having two sets of make and break devices,a movable member aflected by the pressure of liquid in the play pipe forcontrolling one make and break devlce and means whereby the exhaustvalve controls the other make and break device.

15. The combination of a movably supported body projecting into andtransverse the ath of travel of a liquid, means for normal ycounterbalancing the force of liquid flow against the said body and amotor ontrolling device adapted to be actuated by said movablysupportedbody.

16. The combination of a ivotally supported body projecting beyond itspivot support into and transverse the path of travel of a bod of liquid,means for normally counterba ancin the force of liquid flow against thesaid body and motor controllin means in operative relationship with saidpivoted body. w

17 The combination of a movably supported body projectin' into andtransverse the path of travel 0 a liquid, means for normallycounterbalancing the force of liquid flow against the said body andignition means controlled b said pivoted body.

WILL AM 0. BROWN.-

Witnesses: i

MABELLE ETHERBON FRANK B. Honcns.

